Connect

Disability Attorneys of Michigan Explain the Technical Social Security Denials

Our disability attorneys of Michigan are sometimes asked what a technical denial of disability benefits is. While most applications for Social Security benefits are denied on the basis of medical reasons, some are denied instead due to financial ones. If you have received a technical denial for your application, our disability lawyers in Michigan can explain that it means that the Social Security Administration denied it based on factors other than your medical concerns, and they likely did not review your medical issues at all in making that decision.

Substantial Gainful Activity and Earning Limits

One thing the Social Security Administration looks at is whether you are able to engage in substantial gainful activity, or SGA. The agency has established earning limits. If you earn more than that amount, your application will be denied. The current monthly earnings limit for both SSI and SSDI is $1,090. If you make more than that from your job, you will be denied.

Reasons Why SSDI Applicants May Be Denied on Technical Grounds

Social Security disability insurance, or SSDI, eligibility hinges on your having had sufficient amounts paid into the system through your past payroll deductions. Here are the two main reasons why technical denials may be issued for your SSDI application.

You Didn’t Work for a Long Enough Time: In order to have SSDI eligibility, you must have worked a sufficient number of years to build up credits in the system. The length required depends upon how old you are. If you didn’t work long enough to build up the years required for your age, your application will be denied.

When You Did Work Was Too Long Ago: People who have not worked for a lengthy period before applying for SSDI may also be denied. The reason is that the Social Security Administration may determine that you were not disabled before you stopped working. To be eligible for benefits, you must have worked for at least 5 years out of the past 10.

Reasons Why SSI Applicants May Receive Technical Denials

A disability program based on needs, supplemental security income, or SSI, does not carry prior earnings requirements. You can receive a technical denial for your SSI application if you do not meet the Social Security Administrations stringent income and assets guidelines, however. The agency has very strict limits imposed on the amount of money you can earn and the value of assets you own. If your assets or income are more than these limits, the agency will issue a technical denial in your case.

Appeals and Technical Denials

A majority of technical denial decisions are simply unable to be appealed. If, however, the Social Security Administration denied your application because they made an error, you can appeal the decision. Sometimes, the Social Security Administration does make errors. You can provide documentation proving where they made the error to the agency in an appeal. Your lawyer can help you to identify what is needed so you can file your appeal, if that’s what you want to do. If you choose to appeal, you must file it no more than 60 days from when you received notice of your technical denial.